White Tower – A Revolutionary 3D-Printed Landmark by Studio Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer

The White Tower (Tor Alva) in Mulegns, Switzerland, stands as one of the world’s most ambitious innovations in computational design, digital fabrication, and 3D-printed architecture. Conceived by Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer in collaboration with the Origen Cultural Foundation, this groundbreaking structure redefines how architecture can merge technology, culture, and landscape. As the tallest 3D-printed building ever constructed, the White Tower introduces a new paradigm for sustainable, experimental, and culturally embedded architectural practice.

Located in the tranquil Alpine village of Val Surses, the tower rises as both a beacon of artistic expression and a contemporary reinterpretation of Mulegns’ cultural history. Designed as an immersive performance venue, it offers an unprecedented architectural experience rooted in form, materiality, and digital innovation.

A Beacon of Culture, Innovation, and Alpine Identity

The White Tower was envisioned not only as a performance space but as a catalyst to revitalize a village facing demographic and economic challenges. Through its dramatic silhouette and ethereal ornamentation, the tower becomes a cultural landmark along the historic Julier Pass route.

At the top sits a cupola theater—a light-filled, intimate venue suspended above the village rooftops. Here, a dense forest of filigree branching columns creates a dreamlike atmosphere where architecture, performance, and landscape dissolve into one immersive spatial experience. This unique setting merges tradition with digital futurism, generating a new cultural anchor for the region.

Architectural Expression – A New Language of 3D-Printed Ornamentation

The White Tower is composed of 32 custom 3D-printed concrete columns, each distinguished by intricate detailing and multi-scalar ornamentation. Every element is computationally generated, enabling geometric expressions impossible to create through traditional formwork or manual craft.

Robotic fabrication plays a central role in shaping this new architectural language:

• Each column is printed as a thin-walled, structurally optimized form.
• The surface texture becomes a key architectural feature, creating shadow play, tactility, and depth.
• The design recalls the exuberant craftsmanship of Baroque architecture in Grisons, yet it emerges entirely from digital algorithms and robotic precision.

Visitors ascend a central spiral staircase that gradually transitions from shadowed, cavernous chambers to bright, airy volumes. Slender intertwining columns guide the eye upward until they converge beneath the filigree dome of the cupola. Here, a circular stage surrounded by 32 seats offers spectacular views of the surrounding Alps.

At dusk, the tower glows from within, transforming it into an illuminated lantern—an iconic, poetic marker in the landscape.

Pioneering Research – The Future of Digital and Circular Construction

The White Tower serves as a real-world laboratory, showcasing advanced research from ETH Zurich and cross-disciplinary experts in structural engineering, material science, and robotics. Its innovations shape the future of sustainable building.

Key Technological Breakthroughs

1. Load-bearing 3D-printed concrete columns The tower is the world’s first multi-story building to use fully structural 3D-printed concrete components, reinforced during the printing process.

2. Dual-robot fabrication system Two synchronized robots collaborate:

• One robot extrudes the concrete into intricate freeform elements.
• The second robot inserts reinforcement in real time between layers.

3. Material efficiency and formwork-free construction Concrete is only used where structurally required, dramatically reducing material waste compared to conventional casting.

4. Modular and circular design All connections are designed for simple disassembly. After its planned five-year presence in Mulegns, the structure can be dismantled and reassembled in a new location—an exemplary step toward circular architecture.

A Vision for the Future of Architecture

The White Tower demonstrates how advanced computation, parametric design, and sustainable digital manufacturing can challenge the boundaries of architectural creation. It blends:

• Cultural storytelling
• Environmental responsibility
• Technological experimentation
• Material innovation

All photographs are works of CheWei Lin, Nijat Mahamaliyev, Birdviewpicture, Benjamin Hofer, Benjamin Dillenburger and Michael Hansmeyer, Andrei Jipa, Girts Apskalns